I wrote before about the CR-Z, Honda's "sporty" hybrid coupe. Despite my misgivings about its modest power output, in the end I found it to be quite an entertaining little number and wished that Honda would have the gumption to bring it to the Philippines.

Well, guess what: It's coming this August! This, despite the absence of a law giving tax exemptions to hybrid vehicles. In other developed markets, the CR-Z is not considered a luxury car. It's not even considered a sports car in the same vein as a Toyota 86. But in this country, it won't be priced to compete with Honda's bread-and-butter Civic. Rather, it will be priced in the same bracket as the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, the Toyota 86 and the Subaru BRZ, and may even make a few repeat Honda customers think twice about their next purchase.

I can almost see them walking into a Honda showroom, all set to order a nice, conservative, utterly practical CR-V, and then they suddenly do a double take on the CR-Z.

Husband: Honey! Look at this car!

Wife: What's that? A Civic?

H: It's a CR-Z!

W: Oh! A sporty CR-V, you mean?

H: Yes! No! It's like a Civic with two doors, and it's a hybrid!

W: But it looks like a sports car.

H: Yes! Isn't it great? Looks like a sports car, drinks like a Jazz, roomy like our old CR-V!

W: Uh-huh. That backseat looks tight. And it's not as roomy as our CR-V.

H: It's close. Promise! The kids won't complain in the back anyway. Everybody loves a sporty car! Can we get this instead?

W: Why don't we get an Accord instead?

H: What?! Please, let's get this while we're still young.

All right, all right, maybe I'm projecting here. But it sure looks to me that Honda is steadily getting its mojo back. The CR-Z is essentially a guilt-free ticket to having a sporty-looking, sporty-driving car.

Married men who pine for a sports car but get outvoted by the other half in consideration of more practical needs can point to the CR-Z's eco-friendly technology. Wives who crave a little spice to their wheels will like the car's youthful look and feel. Everybody will like Honda's trademark ergonomics and suspension tuning, and the kids will especially love the Star Trek dashboard. Skeptics who scoff at its front-wheel-drive layout will be pleasantly surprised at its nimble handling.

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Honda is also giving equal opportunities to stick-shift purists and automatic-gearbox fans as the CR-Z can be spec'd with a six-speed manual (one of the best I've ever tested) or a CVT. And just to entice buyers even more, it can be had with Modulo and Mugen kits. All within a price range of P1.4 million to P2.1 million. Not chump change, but not ridiculously expensive either. It makes the Toyota Prius C looks especially dowdy.

No, it cannot outrun an 86, much less a Genesis Coupe. You'll also be hard-pressed to match a lowly Eon's 20+km/L fuel efficiency, especially if you keep playing with that Plus-Sport system. But as an everyday, low-emissions car that injects a healthy dose of fun at speeds most drivers can safely play with, the CR-Z is about to change the game for the "sports"-oriented market.

I could go on and on, but I have to work on the wifey just a little bit more.

Andy has been writing about cars since the time everybody thought "16 valves" was cool. His idea of a brain cruncher is figuring out the firing order of an ancient V8, and he thinks automatics are the work of the devil.

Hello TopGear!
What is the best fuel brand/company for all new diesel cars available in Philippines , Shell, Petron etc.?

LFron1011:

Hello TopGear!
What is the best fuel brand/company for all new diesel cars available in Philippines , Shell, Petron etc.?

EnRicO56:

Hello Top Gear, is it correct that if i have my car insured in cebu city, and plan to travel in manila it will not be covered by the insurance incase any accident may happen.

Chyleo1518699:

Good day Topgear. I'm wondering if you can share some thoughts on this. Are major car dealerships (like Honda, Toyota & others) obligated to provide towing services for vehicle units under full warranty which are confirmed to be a legitimate car or parts failure?
Thank you.

Alchemy07:

Hi TopGear, What's the best luxury diesel SUV from your end with a budget of 5M max?

jcheavens58:

Good day TopGear. Newbie here. I would like to know if all Premium gasoline in the Philippines today are also unleaded? And please enlighten if filling up my car with Premium gasoline(XCS/Blaze/VPower) instead of the manufacturer's recommended Unleaded RON 91 gasoline would do harm or damage to the engine?

ronnieb.:

good day top gear ph. when is the right time/kms reading that i go to reputable car shop instead of casa for the servicing? my vehicle needs to go to 25k kms service. thank you in advance

rain.bason:

Hi Top Gear PH, I want to seek your opinion and expertise about some issue on my car but I'm not sure how can I send it over to you. Is there an email address that I can email with?

carnuts888:

Good Day,
I would like to know why KIA does not sell here the Kia Ray sold in South Korea and also why Toyota does not sell here the toyota tank and Daihatsu Thor offered in Japan. I think there would be buyers here for these models if they bring it in.

markvibar78:

Wow why is it if their is a new model from mitsubishi or toyota they always have an immediate counter part. Like the MitsuExpander then now this toyota rush.